This is the final installment in our gummy bear series that features Solti juices. This was our favorite gummy to eat by far, however, it had some leaking issues after being in the fridge for a while. I’ve seen this before with these types of ingredients. It’s nothing to be concerned about in my opinion, especially if you have a limited range of ingredient options.

Let’s talk texture. These were FANTASTIC. They were a cross between a hard gummy, and finger jello. I personally called them gummy bears, but everyone else kept saying finger jello, so I finally had to cave and agree with them. They’re very soft to eat, and have a melt-in-your-mouth-like experience. Are they close to a traditional gummy bear? Not even close. Are they amazing if you can’t have a traditional gummy bear? Absolutely.

This was such a HUGE win. If you’re allergic to just about everything, these are the gummy bears for you. However, I have to say this: if you can have things like gelatin, or something like Krysten’s Kitchen Green Gummy Bears, please please please use a traditional recipe. These gummy bears, as awesome as the are, take some getting use to. They don’t behave the way you may be use to… they are a little on the chewy side… they’re different, and greatly loved.

We’ve teamed up with Barney Butter to bring you this recipe, and there’s also a giveaway on the Instagram feed this week for their product. When making this, I wanted to create something that was simple and delicious, then it morphed into a bar, which I’m totally OK with. On its own, our low/no sugar kid says this is new favorite cookie. While it’s not Paleo, it’s so simple that you can swap the oat flour for something else.

Have you ever seen Chia Pods in your local grocery store? I saw them a very long time ago, and Kid Two really enjoyed them, but only certain flavors. No one else seemed to like them, and I wasn’t in love with the price. After thinking about the ingredients, I set out to make them myself. That was over a year ago. The boys have been in love with every flavor I’ve created, including vanilla and mango. They also know how to make these on their own now. Chocolate however remains king of the flavors, as it is requested the most. This rendition includes banana, and everyone was happy to have it. What I like the most about this is that it’s coconut free. All too often, healthy chia puddings call for either almond or coconut milk. Well not these. However, if you’re grain free, you could sub in a milk that you enjoy. These work great as a breakfast, snack, or dessert. Once you’ve made them once, you’ll see how the ratios work, then I suggest you go wild and start making all sorts of flavors.

This dish came together as one of those, “use what’s in the fridge” types of meals. I only used a small amount of asparagus since around here, it’s considered a bad word. I’m working on that by the way, lol. Here’s the best part though: after I had everything ready, I asked everyone to sample, and they were just so pleased. The Papa said that it’s not a dish that knocks you off your feet with flavor, but at the same time, it’s just so comforting to eat. In fact, he told me several times that evening that “Dinner was just so comforting. We should have that again soon.” Coming from him, and knowing that asparagus was involved, it was quite the compliment. So, from our kitchen to yours, here’s a comforting dish for the family to enjoy.

As you may know, we teamed up with Bentology to bring you a delicious stuffed pork recipe. Well, there’s this one as well, as we didn’t want our vegan readers to be left out. As I mentioned before, I really like that this is a bento-style product. In addition to making this recipe for our vegan eaters, I thought it would be great since they work hard to encourage people to eat healthy. For those of you that are brussels sprouts avoiders, I can personally guarantee that The Papa was happy with this meal. Focus on the word happy. He hates brussels sprouts.

To make this partnership even better, Bentology has given us one of their lunch boxes and tote to give away. To take part in the giveaway, head over to our Instagam account, @TheAllergyChef, and follow the instructions. Good luck!

Did you know that Kid Two is allergic to beef? It’s why most of our recipes that have meat are turkey and chicken based. However, when we purchased our stove, pots, and pans, it made starting fresh and dividing the kitchen awesome. Everyone else likes beef, for the most part. Now, we’re able to safely make them a beef version of something (even though I don’t do this very often yet). It also means we can save a little money by not having them eat the allergy-friendly meats, especially hotdogs, which can sometimes be more expensive. This was one of those times.

I like showing the kids the different things they can do with hotdogs, since it’s “easy” for them (no meat to trim and prep, etc.). Kids in general like hotdogs, but personally, I feel like the meal is too easy… like somehow I’ve cheated everyone because I boiled hotdogs and served them. Yet, if the kids boil the exact same hotdogs, I sing their praises for taking initiative. LOL. I really crack myself up. This time I opted to make something that I felt would be fancy and healthy. I had several items from Costco that I wanted to put to good use, and I’m glad I did.

If you’ve ever seen our Cookbooks, you’ll know that we have Beet Stir Fry. The kids call it Red Heaven. I kid you not, that’s what they call it. Like always, I think they’re messing around with me, but apparently, Beet Stir Fry is just epic. Now, let’s be honest, half the fun of having a blog like this is doing something different. If I always made Beet Stir Fry the same old way, there wouldn’t be much to share with you. So, I decided to take something old and turn it into something new. Although I really love making new concepts, playing with old favorites is great too. This one was quite special, and the kids loved it so much.

Traditional Beet Stir Fry uses red beets, so I opted for gold beets this time around. I also added in ingredients such as mushroom and green onion to add new depths of flavor. If you’re not a huge beet fan, try steaming one and eating it with salt. When I was first introducing the kids to beets, I did this, and they thought it tasted like a rich buttery potato. Then I introduced them to Beet Stir Fry (which isn’t really stir fry at all), and there was no turning back.

A while back, we had a fun exchange of samples with San Francisco Salt Co. They got to try the Free and Friendly Foods top 8 free, vegan cupcakes. We received a beautiful box full of all sorts of salts to try. The hand written note was what really got me. This will be the first of many recipes that features one of their unique salt flavors. Up first, Cherry Smoked Salt. When the kids and I smelled the salt, we were in love. But wait! There’s more! The best part of this meal was right after the sampling. As you know, I can’t eat the food, so the kids sample it once I think it’s ready, and they let me know if changes are needed. Kid Three was the first to sample. He took a bite, and his eyes went wide as he chewed. He shouted “Oh, there are so many flavors! I love it!!” Yes dear friends, that made my day. So here’s the recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as the kids did.

Remember the collaboration with Hannah from Purely Positive Foods last month? Well, in addition to making an apple pancake, we also made Chocolate Corn Free Pancakes. I for one am so excited about these, and everyone who tried them was more than happy to gobble them up. Are they like a traditional pancake? Not even close. Are they safe to eat? Yes, and that’s what I focused on for this recipe.

I feel it’s important to say that sometimes, when crafting allergy free food, especially corn free, you have to forget what you know about taste and texture, and learn to revel in the safety of the food first. From there, start tweaking and enhancing until you find what you like. The journey is long, but the reward is great.